Tuesday, 30 September 2014

The former head of global production at record label giant Universal Music was jailed for three years today for stealing over £660,000 from the company, which he claims was mostly given away to his staff and to charity.

Duncan Schwier, 52, of Clifden Road, Twickenham left behind a paper trail when promoted, which revealed multiple invoice payments to non-existent companies for over a decade, which had been set-up by him.

The American-based French-owned multinational is the largest music corporation in the world and its artists include U2, Eminem, 50 Cent and Jennifer Lopez.

He pleaded guilty to one count of stealing £643,697.35 between December 31, 2001 and December 31, last year from his Kensington-based employers.

Prosecutor Mr. Olu Phillips told Isleworth Crown Court: "The defendant had in fact been employed by 'Atmosphere' music company going back to 1984 and over a series of acquisitions and name changes that company came to be the Universal Music Group.

"In that company, at at the end of June 2013, the defendant was the global head of production with Universal Music Group.

'He was promoted or moved from that position in early 2013 and another member of staff took over that position and that member of staff, seeking to familiarise himself with the financial system came across what appeared to be suspect invoices.

"There followed an enquiry and investigation and over that period the defendant had stolen £643,697.35p and that was by way of him submitting to the company invoices in the name of Bar Music and FF Music.

"These companies were fictitious and once the transactions were authorised the payments were made and funds went into one of his bank accounts."

There were three in-house interviews between Schwier and his bosses from July. "He straight away made admissions that it was him. He had created these companies and he had authorised and and arranged these invoices and taken payment."

Schwier Minutes After Pleading Guilty

Married Schwier, who has at least one daughter, put his six-bedroom detached Edwardian house on the market for £1.75m on August 1, last year, has repaid the stolen money in full.

He claims to have given away, due to his medical condition, £400,000 on his own staff in gifts and bonuses and £100,000 to various charities.

The court heard Schwier was unaware he had autoimmune condition Graves disease, plus other ailments, including a cancer scare, and stole to combat stress and worsening relationship with his staff.

His lawyer, Mr. Lawrence Selby said: "He makes no criticism of Universal. They were completely in the dark as to his medical condition.

"Mr. Schwier himself was almost unaware of the medical condition he was suffering from, it took a considerable time to diagnose. He was unaware his behaviour had changed so dramatically.

"The person who behaved the way he did is not the Duncan Schwier people liked, respected and loved and that is a real tragedy.

"You have heard a large portion of the money stolen from Universal Music was for charity. That was a misguided sense of what was right and wrong at the time.

Schwier Worked At Beaumont House, Kensington Village

"He did glean some comfort from being in a position to assist others at the time he was suffering and enduring."

A music executive colleague at Zomba music described Schwier as having: "mood swings that were frequent and unpalatable" and that his: "behaviour, judgment and decision-making were impaired."

"Throughout this he was working in a pressure-cooker industry," added Mr. Selby. "Unable to cry for help and these thefts offered respite for his depression and suffering."

The first staff gift was an expensive guitar for a colleague who was leaving and the bonuses, parties and dinners followed.

He continued to drive his 15 year-old Volvo, which broke down as the weekend, the court heard and there was no evidence of an "extravagant" lifestyle and his daughter is now suffering one of his conditions.

"It's dishonesty over a period longer than a decade, dishonestly partly to reward your staff, but there was also significant financial gain for yourself," Judge Aidan Marron QC told the first-time offender.

"I accept throughout this period you were suffering serious medical difficulties that effected your judgement and predictability. I'm afraid a custodial sentence is inevitable."

Sunday, 28 September 2014

A
former schoolteacher, who picked up a 14 year-old boy on social
networking app 'Grindr' and took him home for sex, has been jailed
for five years.

Gary
Pearce, 40, of Ellenborough Road, Sidcup met the youth in a
supermarket car park and returned him to the same location after
taking the teen to his address.

He
was convicted at Inner London Crown Court of one count of grooming a
child and once count of sexual activity with a child.

Police
were contacted by the parents of the victim after they found messages
of a sexual nature on his phone.

Officers
were told that in the summer of 2012 the victim had been in contact
with Pearce through 'Grindr' and despite the victim informing the
defendant of his age, they met.

Under
police interview Pearce claimed his victim had told him he was of the
age of consent but made no comment to all other questions put to him.

Detective
Constable Chris Hammond said: "Despite being in a position of
trust as a teacher Gary Pearce met the fourteen year-old victim
through the internet, then arranged and proceeded to meet him in
person.

"The
Metropolitan Police is dedicated to protecting young and vulnerable
people and encourage victims to come forward where they will be fully
supported by specially trained officers."

Detective
Inspector Neal Burton from the Sapphire Command said: "Pearce
utilised the internet to manipulate the child into meeting him.

“This
crime again shows the vulnerability of the internet and social media,
which is used by paedophiles to meet their victims.

“This
conviction will provide reassurance that we will relentlessly pursue
those who commit these dreadful crimes against children."

Friday, 26 September 2014

A
drink-driver, who collided with another motorist, headbutted a
policeman as he was being arrested and smashed the officer over the
head with his own baton.

Tex
Baker, 27, of Kingsland, Harlow, Essex was jailed for five years and four months
for atacking the 34 year-old officer as he tried to handcuff him in
Sewardstone Road, Chingford on October 27, last year.

He
was convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court of causing grievous bodly
harm, with intent, and driving with excess alcohol and was also
banned from driving for two years.

Police
were initially called to reports of a damage-only collision involving
a suspected drunken driver.

The
arresting officer was handcuffing Baker when he launched a sustained
attack head-butting him several times and punching him.

He
also managed to take the baton out of the officer’s hand and struck
him over the head with it, leaving the policeman covered in blood.

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Police
are appealing for information as they continue to solve the killing
of a young man in west London, who was fatally stabbed in the neck
over a year ago.

Detectives
from the Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC) continue to
investigate the death of 23-year-old Surjeet Singh in Southall Park
on August 26, last year.

A
fight occurred at 8.50pm in the park and Mr. Singh was found injured
in nearby Green Drive. He was pronounced dead at 9.57pm.

Police
are appealing for anybody who may have witnessed the incident, knew
the deceased or has any information that may assist the
investigation.

Detective
Inspector Tony Lynes said: “I appeal directly to the local
community in Southall for information that may lead to the
identification of Surjeet's killer.

“I
am convinced the answer lies in the heart of the community, however,
a year on we, nor Surjeet's family are any closer to knowing who
attacked him and we need information from local people to help us.

“Detectives
have arrested a number of people believed to have been involved in
the fight, however police are appealing for information that may
identify Surjeet's killer.

“No
one has been has been convicted in relation with the violent
disorder.”

Anyone
with information is urged to contact the incident room on 020 8721
4868.

Alternatively
if you have information and wish to remain anonymous call
Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. +

Eight
people arrested in connection with the murder in August 2013 have now
been released.

One
man was released with no further action.

Seven
others were acquitted on charges of violent disorder and conspiracy
to commit grievous bodily harm at Isleworth Crown Court in April this
year.

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

A teenager, who encouraged his
younger neighbour to visit him alone to play Scalextric and other
games over three decades ago, sexually abused him by copying a Kama
Sutra-style calender, a court heard yesterday.Barry Rosamond, 50, of Great Tree
Farm, Looe, Cornwall was aged fifteen to sixteen years-old and the
young boy between nine and ten during the period he preyed upon the
youngster, Croydon Crown Court was told.Rosamond has pleaded not guilty to
four counts of indecent assault; one count of attempted buggery and
one count of indecency with a child said to have occurred in
Beckenham, Kent between 1978 and 1980.“He said: 'Come around on your
own to play, don't bring the others,' “ the 44 year-old complainant
told the jury.The defendant initially encouraged
the youngster to touch him intimately, promising to give him £5.00
on the first occasion, but afterwards handed over £3.00 in change,
the court heard.“I went round there and and he
abused me many times. I use'd to see him as a father-figure. Maybe
that's why I never said anything.“I've managed to keep my head
up, but it's been difficult. He did this to me and I crumbled
mentally and I do not want to carry it anymore.“I'm sick and tired of it. It's
draining. He abused me many times.“You bury this in alcohol, in
drugs to block these images out of your head,” explained the
complainant, denying suggestions he invented the accusations to blame
someone for difficulties in his own life.“That's rubbish, absolute
rubbish,” he said, adding it was very difficult to come forward at
the time.“At that age you don't know what
is going on. You think you're just mucking around, but later I felt
dirty, so dirty and foolish.”He said Rosamond would produce a
wall calendar, which depicted silhouetted figures in various sexual
poses, which he would copy with the youngster.Five years ago the complainant
suddenly spotted Rosamond, who was visiting the area, as he walked to
his mother's home.“He smiled at me and when I went
into the house I was pacing up and down wondering what to do, but not
wanting to do anything crazy.“I put a note on his camper van
windscreen, which said: 'I don't want to see you again.' “Trial continues..........

Over 723 plaques were stolen overnight from Croydon, Beckenham, Tonbridge & Malling, West Norwood and Putney Vale cemeteries and evidence of all of them were discovered during a police operation, which targeted DSM scrap yard.

During the police raid, which was the culmination of 'Operation Ferris', officers also seized a Thai bronze dragon statue, stolen from a front garden in Teddington, and Collier is also accused of trying to buy eight reels of copper belonging to UK Power Networks.

Monday, 22 September 2014

A Huddersfield sales assistant
posed as an IT consultant and a fine arts dealer during two mortgage
frauds with her boyfriend, which illegally netted loans totalling
£650,000, the Old Bailey heard today.Rachel Gledhill, 39, of Armitage Road, Milnsbridge was working for Harvey Nichols, but lied
in mortgage applications that she earned substantially more.Her ex-boyfriend Wayne Stubbs, 44
and his mother Wendy Stubbs, 62, both of Briarwood House, Orpington
Road, Chislehurst, Kent also deny the charges.Prosecutor Mr. Nick Mather told
the court Gledhill purchased 52 Hollyfield Avenue, Huddersfield in
2004 with the help of a £225,000 mortgage granted on the basis she
was a £67,000 a year IT consultant.“That is simply untrue, she is
not an IT consultant and she was not earning that money. She was
working as a sale assistant in Harvey Nichols.“This is a lie on the mortgage
application and this is part of a pattern of lies that go throughout
this case.”The jury were told Wayne was the
mastermind behind the frauds. “This is not something Rachel
Gledhill has decided to do off her own bat.”The second property Gledhill
purchased, 4 The Courtyard, Holwood, Keston, Kent, needed a £424,950
mortgage and she claimed to run her own successful fine arts business
to obtain the loan in 2005.“She say's she's a professional
and had been doing this since May 1996 and owned one hundred per cent
of the business.”Gledhill claimed to net over
£172,000 a year from the non-existent business, added Mr. Mather.
“All of that was untrue because we known how much she was earning.”The last known income for Gledhill
was £12,000 in 2004 and from 2005 to 2011 she has no employment or
tax records whatsoever.“You can be confident these are
lies in her documentation.”

Wendy Stubbs

4 The Courtyard was rented for
£2,000 per month without the permission of the lender and sold in
May, 2008 for £472,000, which the prosecution say is criminal
property.The Stubbs' were involved in
further frauds on their own, added Mr. Maher. “It's about mortgage
fraud and money laundering.“These three defendants,
individually and together, obtained a number of different mortgages
and they did this by lying about their employment and income.“Wayne is behind each and every
one of these transactions. His fingerprints, euphemistically
speaking, are all over this case.”Wendy fronted the purchase of one
property by claiming to be a £120,000 financial consultant.“She has never, prior or since,
earned that money. She was unemployed and on benefits.”On another occasion she claimed to
be a £75,000 a year interior designer and Wayne himself posed as a
£110,000 a year unit trust dealer to obtain a big mortgage.Wayne has not employment or tax
history between 1995 and 2011. “He's a man who has no income at all
as far as Revenue and Customs are concerned.“He's someone seemingly under
the radar with no income.”Gledhill and Wayne are charged
with obtaining a £225,000 mortgage on or before April 23, 2004, by
deception, in relation to 52 Hollyfield Avenue, Huddersfield.Gledhill alone is charged with
obtaining a £424,950 mortgage, by deception, in relation to 4 The
Courtyard, Holwood Estate, Westerham Road, Keston, Kent.She is also charged with acquiring
criminal property, namely rental income, from the address between
June 1, 2006 and May 31, 2008 and Wayne is charged with entering into
a money laundering arrangement.Both Stubbs' are charged with
obtaining a mortgage by deception, namely £300,000, on or before
April 19, 2002 in relation to 166 Crofton Lane, Orpington.They are similarly charged with
obtaining £237,500 on or before August 29, 2003, plus a count of
attempting to obtain that sum in relation to Flat 2, 55 Linden
Gardens, Paddington.Wendy is charged with acquiring
criminal property, namely rental income from that address between
February 4, 2005 and December 31, 2012 and Wayne with entering into a
money laundering arrangement.Wayne faces one count of fraud
against Clydesdale Bank on or about March 12, 2008 in relation to the
Linden Gardens property and his mother a count of acquiring criminal
property and money laundering between 2008 and 2012.Wayne alone is charged with
obtaining a £237,500 mortage, by deception, in relation to Flat 16,
Mount Arlington, 37 Park Hill Road, Bromley on or before July 27,
2004.Both Stubbs' are charged with
obtaining a £1,200,399 mortgage, by deception, on or before April 6,
2006 in relation to Briarwood House, Orpington Road, Chislehurst.That property was rented out for
£8,000 per month and Wendy is charged with acquiring criminal
property between November 1, 2008 and November 30, 2010 and Wayne
with money laundering.Trial continues...........

Sunday, 21 September 2014

Police
have released this CCTV image of a suspect wanted after a man was
attacked with a baseball bat and a knife outside a fast-food
restaurant in north-west London.

Officers
in Brent are investigating a violent incident, which ocurred in
Coombe Road, near Neasden Lane at 10.15pm on September 4 and left the
victim with a suspected fractured arm and hand and two deep cuts to
the back of his head.

The
35 year-old victim had been in a fast food restaurant in Neasden Lane
and was followed by two suspects who assaulted him with the weapons
in a nearby street.

The
victim ran back towards the restaurant and was assaulted by a further
two men.

The
suspects have been described as white Eastern European men believed
to be Polish.

Detective
Constable Paul Connelly, from Brent CID, said: “I would like to
speak with anyone who was in the area or inside the restaurant at the
time of the incident who may have witnessed this assault.

“If
you are the man in the photo or know who he is please contact the
police.”

Friday, 19 September 2014

A privately-educated City PA, who also coaches youngsters at Chelsea FC, screamed racist abuse at two police officers and kicked a third after an eight-pint night out with pals in the West End.

Natasha Malook, 23, who attended Knightsbridge's £16,500 a year More House School and works for Investec Wealth and Investment passed out on the platform of Holland Park Underground Station and missed the last train home.

Police were called by the station supervisor and officers had to handcuff Malook - who lives with her family in a detached £1m house - after she struggled and shouted: "nigger", "paki" and "black bitch" at them.

Malook,of Monkville Avenue, Hampstead Garden Suburb pleaded guilty today to two counts of using racially-aggravated threatening behaviour towards PC's Tracey Taylor-Provost and Mohammed Wahab and assaulting PC Sophie Cunning in the early hours of April 18.

Hammersmith Magistrates Court heard her arrest and prosecution had jeopardised first-time offender Malook's renewal of her football coach's license.

Prosecutor Mr. Michael Sampson said: "She went out drinking with friends and had at least eight pints of beer and was drunk. She is seen on the station's CCTV wandering around and then sits on the platform and falls asleep.

"The supervisor tries to wake her, but she doesn't respond and by now the last train has departed and at 1.05am the police are called.

"PC Wahab tried to rouse her, but there was no response and he squeezed her earlobe and she told him to stop.

"The officers told her she has missed the last train and she was clearly drunk, her speech was slurred and there was a smell of alcohol on her breath."

Malook then shouted at PC Taylor-Provost: "Why don't you just f*** off? Do you know what your problem is? You've got a chip on your shoulder 'cos you're black."

Mr. Sampson explained: "She called PC Taylor-Provost a nigger and PC Wahab a paki and continued abusing the officers, using the words: 'black bitch' and 'lesbian c***.'

"She was handcuffed and tried to kick PC Taylor-Provost and was taken to the ground and leg restraints applied."

Malook was taken to British Transport Police's custody suite, where she assaulted detention officer PC Cunning.

"After being taken to a cell the handcuffs were removed and she struggled with the officer and kicked PC Cunning ."

Malook was later questioned when she sobered up. "She admitted she was drunk and said she could not recall what she said, but accepted she had behaved badly."

Her lawyer Miss Sue Semlani told the court: "The defendant is deeply ashamed of her actions. They are out of character.

"This was an offence motivated by alcohol and knows there is no excuse and no defence. It was a drunken rant.

"She says she cannot remember many of the things she said during this drunken rampage and is apologetic.

"She knows she was uncooperative and is sorry for the language and in the heat of the moment as she is being restrained she has kicked out and injured the officer.

"She is a football coach and is due to renew her licence, but these proceedings have had a big impact on things."

Malook was fined £250 for each offence, ordered to pay £150 compensation to each officer, £300 costs and a £25 victim surcharge.

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

A
teenager, who crashed the Metropolitan Police Service's website by
carrying out a cyber attack from his laptop, will be sentenced next
month.

Jobless
Jordan Jones, 19, of Windermere Avenue, Billingham, Cleveland slowed
down the site over two days, eventually bring it grinding to a halt
and inaccessible to the public.

His
actions betweenAugust 12 and 14 last year resulted in a Denial of
Service (DoS).

DoS
attacks involve myriad requests sent to a single computer hosting a
website, so that it is overloaded and effectively removed from the
web.

Detectives
from the Met's Cyber Crime Unit launched an investigation and,
working with Cleveland Police, identified Jones as the culprit.

On
March 18 police arrested Jones at his home address, from which they
also seized an encrypted laptop computer.

He
pleaded guilty at Teeside Magistrates' Court to four unauthorised
acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, the
operation of a computer, under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, on 13
August 2014.

He
is due to be sentenced at the same court on October 1.

Detective
Inspector Sanjiv Gohil of the Met's Cyber Crime Unit, said: “Most
denial of service attacks are aimed at businesses and the downtime to
their websites can and often does cause a huge dip in their revenue.

In
this case, the loss was to the public. Every day, thousands of people
turn to the Met's website for advice about crime and to report
offences.

“Being
unable to do this and access the advice they are looking for there
and then can make a huge difference to how crime impacts those
people.

"I
would like to reassure the public that there is no evidence of a
compromise to anyone’s personal details as a result of this
attack.”

Sunday, 14 September 2014

A drunken former air stewardess flying to London for her honeymoon screamed at British Airways cabin crew: "I'm going to shoot you in the face," after barricading herself inside a business class toilet.

American Brie Ann Johnson, 35, was joining her musician husband and had been drinking wine in the exclusive Club World upper deck on the 747 plane on top of her anti-anxiety Xanax medication.

She pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting Craig Stoner and David Shaw on August 3 and received a suspended prison sentence.

Prosecutor Miss Pamela Reiss told the court trouble started ninety minutes into the New York to Heathrow flight and Mr. Stoner, a member of the cabin crew, was called to the upper deck.

"Miss Johnson was inside a toilet and there was groaning and banging noises coming from inside and when the staff knocked on the door she would not unlock it.

"Mr. Stoner decided to take the door off its hinges, but Miss Johnson put her back against it to stop him."

Eventually the door was removed and Miss Johnson, whose eyes were glazed, shouted: "F*** off. Get off me," and other passenger were noticeably upset.

"She would not walk and was carried back to the galley and wet herself. The crew detected the smell of alcohol on her breath and urine on her clothes.

"She threatened that she was going to shoot them in the face and put her hand into her jeans pocket and pulled out her passport," explained Miss Reiss.

"She then kicked down on Mr. Stoner's right shin then used her fist and made contact with his right eyebrow and he felt blood trickling down his face. He was cut.

"She also kicked Mr. Shaw, he was kicked on the shin and she did attempt to bite him and told him: 'I'm going to shoot you in the face.'

"At that point Mr. Shaw said: 'Get the handcuffs.' "Throughout the incident Miss Johnson was swearing all the time and upsetting her fellow passengers.

"When police officers arrived at Terminal Five to meet Miss Jonson she was clearly drunk."

Johnson's lawyer Miss Laura Hucknell said: "This was meant to be her honeymoon with her husband. She is in the country with him, he's a musician performing in a London concert and they have rented a flat.

"She is devastated and horrified at her behaviour, particularly as she is a former cabin staff employee herself.

"She has little, if any, memory of the incident, but was nervous and stressed when boarding and did not have anything to eat.

"She is terrified of the prospect of going into custody and has not slept since."